Chase the Devil explained

Chase the Devil
Cover:Max Romeo - Chase the Devil.jpg
Type:single
Artist:Max Romeo and The Upsetters
Album:War Ina Babylon
Released:1976
Genre:
Length:3:25
Label:Island
Prev Title:Hola Zion
Prev Year:1976
Next Title:Mr. Jones
Next Year:1976

"Chase the Devil" is a reggae song, recorded in 1976 by Max Romeo, with the backing of Lee "Scratch" Perry's house band, The Upsetters.

Background

Composed by Perry and Romeo, "Chase the Devil" was released on the album War Ina Babylon in 1976. Also in 1976, The Upsetters recorded a version with different lyrics. The track, called "Croaking Lizard" and credited to The Upsetters and Prince Jazzbo, was included in their album Super Ape. Later, Perry made a dub remix of both versions, called "Disco Devil".

In a BBC interview recorded in 2010 Romeo describes the meaning of the song. He explains that the devil is everything negative in our minds, the iron shirt is our strength of spirit that allows us to cast out the devil.[2]

Track listing

A. Max Romeo – "Chase the Devil"

B. The Upsetters featuring Prince Jazzbo – "Croaking Lizard"

A. "Chase the Devil" – 3:25

B. "One Step Forward (Oye Oye Reggae)" – 5:00

Cover versions

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Pitchfork Staff . The 200 Best Songs of the 1970s . . August 22, 2016 . Perry essentially released a dub version of the Romeo and Jazzbo tracks, then followed it with a dub of the dub.. October 13, 2022.
  2. Web site: BBC Four - Reggae Britannia, Max Romeo on I Chase the Devil . 4 February 2011 . . 24 March 2020 .
  3. Web site: Max Romeo / Upsetters, The Feat Prince Jazzbo – Chase the Devil / Croaking Lizard (Vinyl) . 1976 . 27 October 2012 . .
  4. Web site: Max Romeo – Chase the Devil / One Step Forward (Oye Oye Reggae) (Vinyl) . 1976 . Discogs . 27 October 2012 .
  5. Web site: Chase the Devil / One Step Forward (Oye Oye Reggae) by Max Romeo : Reviews and Ratings. . 27 October 2012 .
  6. Web site: Neil . Kulkarni . One Step Forward Two Steps Backward: 1976, Reggae & Critical Amnesia . . 26 April 2016 . 14 May 2016 .
  7. Web site: Stephen . Thomas Erlewine . Stephen Thomas Erlewine . Madness – The Dangermen Sessions, Vol. 1 . . 6 January 2014 .
  8. News: Ian . McCann . Chase the Devil — when Max Romeo declared war on Lucifer . . 16 September 2019 . 2 October 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190917200732/https://ig.ft.com/life-of-a-song/chase-the-devil.html . 17 September 2019.